Gentle Giant – The Power and the Glory (1974/2014) [High Fidelity Pure Audio Blu-Ray Disc]

Artist: Gentle Giant
Title: The Power and the Glory
Genre: Rock, Progressive Rock, Art Rock
Label: © Alucard Publishing Ltd.
Release Date: 1974/2014
Recorded: December 1973 – January 1974, Advision Studios, London
Quality: Blu-ray Audio
Size: 21.82 GB

• 2014 New 5.1 & Stereo Mix by Steven Wilson
Length: 00:41:17
Video: MPEG-4 AVC 23912 kbps / 1080p / 23,976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 / 96 kHz / 7574 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 6.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Audio: EEnglish LPCM 2.0 / 96 kHz / 4608 kbps / 24-bit
• Instrumentals Stereo Mix
Length: 00:46:31
Video: MPEG-4 AVC 11994 kbps / 1080p / 23,976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1
Audio: English LPCM 2.0 / 96 kHz / 4608 kbps / 24-bit
• 1974 Original Stereo Mix
Length: 00:37:23
Video: MPEG-4 AVC 11994 kbps / 1080p / 23,976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1
Audio: English LPCM 2.0 / 96 kHz / 4608 kbps / 24-bit

A brand new mix in both high resolution stereo and 5.1 surround sound of this classic album from one of the most gifted and ambitious but perhaps also most underrated of the original wave of seventies progressive rock bands. For many (including Steven) The Power and the Glory from 1974 is their masterpiece. The remix was done from the master tapes at 96/24 and this is the 2 disc Blu-Ray/CD edition on the band’s own label Alucard. Also includes bonus tracks of the non-album title-track (originally released as a single), and an alternate take of Aspirations. The Blu-Ray also includes animated videos for the whole album, and exclusive instrumental mixes.

The group’s first U.S. release in two years featured ornate playing from Kerry Minnear on keyboards and Gary Green’s loudest guitar work up to that time. The Power and the Glory is also a fairly dissonant album, yet it made the charts, albeit pretty low. There seems to be a unifying theme having to do with one’s place in the social order, but it’s very vague in contrast to Pink Floyd’s re-creations of the post-’60s drug experience, Yes’ sweeping album-length suites, and ELP’s sci-fi epics. “No God’s a Man” is an infinitely more challenging piece of music than anything on Jethro Tull’s Aqualung, but that wasn’t a commercial virtue; nor could the electric violin break on “The Face” or the rippling electric guitar passages throughout cover the effort involved in absorbing these songs. The Power and the Glory vaguely resembled Genesis’ early art-rock albums, but without any presence as charismatic as Peter Gabriel. “Playing the Game” and “So Sincere” were the most accessible tracks and ended up as key parts of their concert set. –Bruce Eder

Tracklist:

• Album with Videos (Audio Formats: 96/24 Stereo LPCM & DTS 5.1 Master Audio)
1 Proclamation
2 So Sincere
3 Aspirations
4 Playing the Game
5 Cogs in Cogs
6 No God’s a Man
7 The Face
8 Valedictory
Bonus Track:
9 The Power and the Glory

• Instrumentals Album with screen saver (Audio Format: 96/24 Stereo LPCM)
1 Proclamation
2 So Sincere
3 Aspirations
4 Playing the Game
5 Cogs in Cogs
6 No God’s a Man
7 The Face
8 Valedictory
Bonus Tracks:
9 The Power and the Glory
10 Aspirations (out-take)

• Extra: Original 1974 Studio Mix (Transferred Flat – 96/24 LPCM)
1 Proclamation
2 So Sincere
3 Aspirations
4 Playing the Game
5 Cogs in Cogs
6 No God’s a Man
7 The Face
8 Valedictory

Personnel:
Derek Shulman – lead vocals on tracks 1, 2 and 4-8, tenor saxophone (track 2)
Kerry Minnear – Hammond organ (tracks 1, 2, 4-8), piano (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 7), Minimoog (tracks 2, 4, 5, 8), Clavinet (tracks 2, 4, 6, 7), electric piano (tracks 1, 3, 4), Mellotron (track 4), marimba (track 4), vibraphone (track 6), cello (track 2), lead vocals on tracks 2-4
Ray Shulman – bass, violin (tracks 2, 4, 7), electric violin (track 7), acoustic guitar (track 6), vocals (tracks 1, 6, 8)
Gary Green – electric guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 8), electric guitars (tracks 5-7), acoustic guitar (tracks 3, 4, 6), vocals (tracks 1, 6, 8)
John Weathers – drums, tambourine (tracks 2, 5, 7), sleigh bells (track 6), cymbals (track 1)

QUICK SUMMARY:

Disc Title: Gentle Giant.The Power and the Glory.2014.BDA1080p
Disc Size: 23 543 585 256 bytes
Protection: AACS
BD-Java: No
Playlist: 00002.MPLS
Size: 6 106 211 904 bytes
Length: 0:46:31.830
Total Bitrate: 17,50 Mbps
Video: MPEG-4 AVC Video / 11994 kbps / 1080p / 23,976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1
Audio: English / LPCM Audio / 2.0 / 96 kHz / 4608 kbps / 24-bit

Blu-Ray Audio Disc: